Pocket tablet dispenser

ABSTRACT

A pair of elongated tubular members, each having one closed end and an inside diameter slightly greater than tablets to be contained, are removably connected together at their other ends to form a convenient pen-like container readily carried vertically in a pocket and held in place by an ordinary pocket clip.

1 1 May 22, 1973 United States Patent 91 Simmons 54 POCKET TABLET DISPENSER 2,707,552 5 1955 Matthiesen............................. [76] inventor: Clarence C, Simmons, P. O. Box Zggggg g g 826, Lawton, Okla. 7350] 41: 5

Sept. 8, 1971 [22] Filed:

Primary ExaminerGeorge E. Lowrance Assistant ExaminerAllan N. Shoap Attorney-Robert K. Rhea 21 Appl. No.: 178,661

[57] ABSTRACT A pair of elongated tubular members, each having one [52] U.S. [51] Int. Cl. 83/04 [58] Field of Search......................206l42, 16.5, 16.6;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS like container readily carried vertically in a pocket and held in place by an ordinary pocket clip.

2,715,961 8/1955 Field 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures Patented May 22, 1973 FIG.|

POCKET TABLET DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to a pocket type tablet containing and dis pensing container for dispensing one tablet at a time.

This invention is intended to provide a container for vertically stacked glyceryl trinitrate tablets, or the like, constantly carried by certain cardiac sufferers for self treatment.

It is well known that it is important in the handling, packaging and carrying, tablets of the above class that the tablets must be protected from powdering, dusting off, chipping or disintegrating which action would result, if they are packaged or carried loosely, in a container. This disadvantage of carrying tablets is partially compensated for by adding a wad of cotton to the container to absorb moisture and prevent the tablets moving in relation to each other when carried in a pocket or purse. This is not wholly satisfactory in that the tablets are still inclined to powder or dust off. Furthermore, it is desirable for a cardiac sufferer to be able to quickly and easily obtain a single tablet to be dissolved in the mouth without disturbing or pouringout the remaining tablets of the supply.

2. Description of the prior art A number of tablet dispensing holders of tube-like form have been proposed, such as is disclosed by US. Pat. Nos. 2,707,552 and 2,759,598. These patents disclose containers formed of a number of interconnected components for containing a plurality of different sizes or kinds of tablets requiring selective separation of the components to gain access to the desired tablet. This is a disadvantage to a cardiac sufferer in that, when an attack occurs, it is important for immediate relief to obtain the correct tablet with it being placed on the person's tongue for dissolving by saliva. Furthermore, if it is necessary that a companion administer the tablet, confusion might arise over which tablet should be obtained.

In this invention the user easily obtains a single tablet by tilting or inverting the open container therefor, after the cap has been removed, against his tongue wherein only a single tablet adheres to his moist tongue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In its preferred form, this container is generally tubular, approximating the diameter of a pencil or fountain pen, and when formed from transparent plastic material, the user can readily observe the quantity of tablets remaining in the container. The container is formed in two sections separably joined together with one section forming a top or cap section which may be enhanced in its appeal to the user by being colored. A resilient member, connected at one end to the top, forms a clip for holding the container in the users pocket. Separation of the two sections of the container, permits the dispensing of one tablet, at a time, from the open end of the other or barrel portion when its open end is placed against the users tongue and its closed end tilted upwardly.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a tablet container by which a single tablet may be easily and quickly removed from and taken by the user without handling the tablet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, of the device containing a plurality of tablets; and,

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the tablet holding barrel portion in single tablet dispensing position against a fragment of a users tongue, shown by dotted lines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates the dispenser, as a whole, which is elongated tubular in general configuration. The device 10 is normally maintained in a vertical position and comprises a depending body or barrel portion 12, preferably formed from transparent plastic material, and provided with a central bore 14 diametrically slightly greater than right-circular cylinder tablets 16 contained thereby. The bore 14 terminates in an annular shoulder 18 in spaced relation with respect to the depending closed end 20 of the barrel with the bore 14 communicating with a reduced diameter bore 22. The purpose of the small bore 22 is to form a socket to collect dust or small fragments of the tablets 16 at the time of filling or refilling the barrel.

The outer surface of the upwardly disposed end of the barrel 12 is diametrically reduced, to form an annular external shoulder 23, and is externally threaded, adjacent its upper end surface, as at 24, for cooperative reception of the depending end of a tubular top section 26 having its upper end closed, as by a plug 27. The top section 26 is internally threaded in spaced relation above its depending end to define a smooth bore wall or skirt portion 28 surrounding the diametrically reduced upper end portion of the barrel below the threads 24. The depending end surface 29 of the skirt abuts the barrel shoulder 23 in sealing relation when the top section 26 is fully engaged telescopically with the barrel 12. The plug or tip 27 is preferably colored different than the cap to readily distinguish the pen-like device 10 from other pens or pencils, not shown, carried by the user. Obviously the threads may be omitted wherein the tip telescopically receives, frictionally, the upper end portion of the barrel 12 for ease in quick separation of the top and barrel.

The top is preferably provided with a conventional resilient or spring-like clip 30 for securing the device 10 in a vertical position within the users pocket, not shown. Since the glyceryl trinitrate tablets, intended to be carried by the barrel 12, are readily soluable and tend to disintegrate under high humidity conditions, the bore of the top section 26 may be partially filled, at its upwardly disposed end, with a quantity of desiccant 32 held in place by a frictionally engaged foraminated disk 34. Obviously the disk 34 may be omitted and the bore of the top section, above the threads, filled with cotton, or the like, if desired.

OPERATION In operation a quantity of the tablets 16 are carefully placed within the barrel 12. The top section 26 is threadedly connected with the barrel l2 and the entire container carried within the users pocket. When a tablet is to be taken, the user removes the top 26 and places the open end of the barrel 12 against his tongue 36 while tilting the closed barrel end 20 upwardly so that the tablets move toward the open end of the barrel by gravity wherein the topmost tablet 16 contacts and adheres to the users tongue. The closed end of the bar- 5 rel is then tilted downwardly and the open end removed from the tongue leaving only one tablet thereon. The top section 26 is replaced and the container returned to the users pocket.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim: l. A container for holding a supply of tablets in a pocket for quickly and easily dispensing one of the tablets, comprising:

an elongated normally vertically disposed barrel centrally bored, from its upper end, on a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of tablets to be contained with the bore terminating in an annular tablet supporting shoulder in spaced-apart relation with respect to the depending closed end of said barrel,

the external upper end portion of said barrel being diametrically reduced, forming an external annular shoulder,

said barrel being externally threaded adjacent its upper end; a similarly sized tubular top section having one closed end and having the bore of its other end portion telescopically receiving the upwardly open end portion of said barrel in separable sealing relation, said top section having internal threads spaced inwardly from its depending open end forming a depending skirt section having a smooth bore surrounding the upper end portion of said barrel below said external threads,

the depending end surface of said skirt abutting said external shoulder in sealing relation when said threads are fully engaged; and,

a spring clip secured to said top section for holding said container within a users pocket. 

1. A container for holding a supply of tablets in a pocket for quickly and easily dispensing one of the tablets, comprising: an elongated normally vertically disposed barrel centrally bored, from its upper end, on a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of tablets to be contained with the bore terminating in an annular tablet supporting shoulder in spacedapart relation with respect to the depending closed end of said barrel, said barrel having a concentric smaller diameter bore, forming a tablet dust containing socket, intersecting said annular shoulder and terminating in spaced relation with respect to the closed end of said barrel; the external upper end portion of said barrel being diametrically reduced, forming an external annular shoulder, said barrel being externally threaded adjacent its upper end; a similarly sized tubular top section having one closed end and having the bore of its other end portion telescopically receiving the upwardly open end portion of said barrel in separable sealing relation, said top section having internal threads spaced inwardly from its depending open end forming a depending skirt section having a smooth bore surrounding the upper end portion of said barrel below said external threads, the depending end surface of said skirt abutting said external shoulder in sealing relation when said threads are fully engaged; and, a spring clip secured to said top section for holding said container within a user''s pocket. 